Tiltable lamp shade holder



arch 14, 1967 C, FANSHlER y TILTABLE LAMP SHADE HOLDER 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1965 CHES TER FANSH/E? A T TORNEYS United States Patent O 3,309,515 TILTABLE LAMP SHADE HOLDER Chester Fanshier, P.O. Box 696, Bartlesville, Okla. 74003 Filed Feb. s, 1965, ser. No. 430,837 Claims. (Cl. 240-148) This invention relates to a tiltable lamp shade holder. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for attaching a lamp shade to a lamp harp in a manner whereby the lamp shade can be tilted including means of insuring that the lamp shade after being tilted will remain in such a tilted position. Still more particularly, the invention relates to an improvement in the type of lamp shade holder presently in commercial use including means of adapting such holder for positively providing tilt control of lamp shades.

It is the custom of many people to tilt lamp shades to better direct therlight, -such as for reading or sewing. The type of lamp shade tilt devices now in commercial use includes a means whereby the lamp shade is pivoted lto the lamp harp and such means ordinarily works satisfactorily when the lamp holder is newA but after the lamp shade has been repeatedly tilted from one position to another the holder soon becomes worn so that when the shade is again tilted the holder is too loose to retain the shade in the desired position.

The basic object of this invention is to provide an irnproved tiltable lamp shade holder.

A more particular object of this invention is to provide a lamp shade holder for use in attaching a lamp shade to a lamp harp including means whereby the lamp shade may be tilted and specifically including means whereby the lamp shade holder can be adjusted to insure that the lamp shade, when tilted, will remain in the selected tilted position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which may be readily utilized with the present commercial type of lamp shade holders as a means of insuring that a lamp shade when tilted will remain in the proper tilted position. A.

These and other objects will be 'set forth and a better understanding of the invention had by referring tothe following description and claims taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a view of a typical lamp harp supported to a light socket and lshowing the lamp shade holder of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged exploded view of the lamp shade holder of this inven-tion.

This invention relates to an improved tiltable lamp shade holder. More particularly, but not in way of limitation, the invention relates to a tiltable lamp shade holder comprising a lamp harp having means at the lower end for supporting to a light socket, the upper end of the harp being substantially straight and horizontal, a bracket pivotally aflixed to the harp upper horizontal portion, the bracket having a vertical extending threaded portion, an inverted U-shaped clamp member dened by a horizontal portion having an opening therein and opposed paralleled downwardly extending legs,-the opening receivingsaid bracket threaded portion, the lower end of the legs engaging said harp horizontal portion to either side of said bracket, a spacer having a threaded opening in the lower end to receive the bracket threaded portion and thereby urge said clamp against said harp horizontal portion, the spacer having an integral upwardly extending threaded lamp shade eyelet receiving portion, and a nut threadable on said spacer upwardly extending threaded portion.

Referring now to the drawings and rst to FIGURE l,

3,309,5l5 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 ICC the improved tiltable lamp shade holder of this invention is indicated generally by the numeral 10 and is shown as it is utilized with a typical lamp harp 12. A lamp shade 14 is shown supported by the harp 12, the harp being typically aiiixed at its lower end to a socket 16. The lamp harp 12 is provided with a base 18 which is received by the lamp socket. The harp 12 having base 18 is of the type presently commercially available. The typical harp 12 is of basically an elliptically formed rod designed to encompass a bulb 20. The upper end portion of the harp 12 is typically a horizontal, substantially straight portion 22.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the type of lamp shade holder presently in commercial use consists of an inverted U- shaped bracket 24 having an intermediate horizontal portion 26 and spaced apart downwardly extending legs 28. Each of the legs 28 has an opening 30 therein receiving the horizontal portion 22 of the harp 12. Extending upwardly from the horizontal portion of bracket 24 is a threaded portion 32 which may be integral with the bracket 24 or, as shown, is a nut extending upwardly through an opening 34 in the bracket horizontal portion 26.

In the typical present commercial use thethreaded portion 32 of bracket 24 receives an eyelet 36 of a lamp shade. A nut usually of ornamental configuration (such as nut 38) is threaded onto the upwardly extended threaded portion 32 to retain the eyelet 36 and thereby the lamp shade 14. It can be seen that the bracket 24 as presently commercially used is adapted to pivot about the harp horizontal portion 22 and thereby permit pivotation of a shade 14. As previously indicated, this arrangement works satisfactorily when the bracket 24 and horizontal harp portion 22 are new so that the openings 30 closely tit the harp, but after repeated tilting of the shade 14 from one position to another the openings 30 soon wear to increase diameter and hereafter the shade, when tilted to one direction, tends to automatically gravitate to the vertical position.

The elements described up to this point are of present commercial use. This invention is an adaptor for use with the present commercially available lamp shade devices to insure continued pivot control of the lamp shade.

The invention consists of two basic elements, the first being an inverted U-shaped clamp member, generally indicated by the numeral 40. The clamp member 40 is deiined'by a horizontal portion 42 having a central opening J44 therein and opposed downwardly extending leg portions 46. In the preferred embodiment the lower end of the leg portions 46 each terminate in a semi-circular recess 48.

The second basi-c element of the invention is a spacer, generally indicated by the numeral 50; the spacer 50 is defined by the body portion 52 having a threaded opening 54 in the lower end and an integral upwardly extending externally threaded portion 56. In the preferred embodiment the spacer 50 is provided with a horizontally extending handle member 58. One means of providing such a handle member 58 includes positioning an opening 60 through the body portion 52 perpendicularly the longitudinal axis into which is inserted an elongated cylindrical handle portion 58 extending equally to either side of the body portion.

The -application of this inventionwhen it is utilized in conjunction with the present commercial type of lamp shade holder is as follows: Nut 38 which normally engages the threaded portion 32 of bracket 24 is removed, permitting removal of the shade 14. Next, the clamp member 40 is positioned so that opening 44 therein receives the threaded portion 32 and the recesses 48 in each leg 46 engaging the straight portion 22 of harp 12 to either side of the bracket 24. Next, the spacer 52 is advanced onto the threaded portion 32 of bracket 24, the handle 58 being used to apply the necessary inger pressure against lthe clamp member 40. Next, the eyelet 36 of the lamp shade 14 is inserted over the upwardly extending threaded portion 56 of the spacer 50 and nally nut 3S is screwed onto the threaded portion 56 to retain the' lamp shade.

In this invention the lamp shade holder is pivotally supported about the upper horizontal portion of the lamp harp 12 in a means whereby the tension of the holder against the horizontal portion 22 can be adjusted to insure the lamp shade remaining at the required angle of tilt. The resistance of pivotation of the device is determined by the threaded pressure applied by spacer t) against clamp 40. It the lamp shade is too loosely supported so that the required angle of tilt is not maintained, all that is necessary is that linger pressure be utilized against handle 58 to threadably advance the spacer 5t) further against the clamp 4t). As Wear occurs the spacer 40 can be threadably advanced to again provide the necessary resistance to pivotation to always insure the larnp shade remaining in the desired position.

In its fullest embodiment the invention includes the harp l2, the bracket 24, clamp member 4), the spacer 50 and nut 38. In a more limited sense the invention is the improvement consisting of the basic clamp member 40 and spacer 50.

Although this invention has been described with a Icertain degree of particularity it is manifest that many changes can be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

What is claimed is:

1. A -tiltable lamp shade holder comprising:

(a) a lamp harp having means at the lower end for supporting to la light socket, the upper end portion of the harp being substantially straight and horizontal;

(b) a bracket pivotally affixed to the harp upper horizontal portion, the bracket having a vertically extending threaded portion;

(c) lan inverted U-shaped clamp member deined by a horizontal portion having an opening therein and opposed paralleled downwardly extending legs, the opening receiving said bracket threaded portion, the lower end of the` legs engaging said harp horizontal portion to ei-ther side of said bracket;

(d) a spacer having a threaded opening in the lower end to receive the bracket threaded portion and thereby -urge said clamp against said harp horizontal portion, the spacer having an integral upwardly exi tending threaded lamp shade eyelet receiving portion; and

(e) a nut threadable `on Isaid spacer upwardly extending threaded portion.

2. A tiltable lamp shade holder according to claim 1 including:

(f) a handle member aixed to said spacer intermediate its length and extending substantially perpendicularly thereof.

3; In a lamp shade holder having:

(a) a lamp harp having means at the lower end for supporting to a light socket, the upper end portion being substantially straight and horizontal;

(b) a bracket pivotally 'atlixed to the harp upper horizontal portion, the bracket having a vertically extending threaded portion;

(c) a nut normally threadable on said bracket vertically extending threaded portion to retain a lamp shade eyelet thereof; the improvement comprising:

(d) an inverted U-shaped clamp member defined by la horizontal portion having an opening therein and opposed paralleled downwardly extending legs, the opening receiving said bracket threaded portion, the lower end of the legs engaging said harp horizontal portion to either side of said bracket; and l (e) la spacer having a threaded opening in the lower end to receive the bracket threaded portion and thereby urge said clamp legs against said harp horizontal portion, the spacer having an integral upwardly extending threaded portion to receive a lamp shade eyelet and said nut.

4. A lamp shade holder improvement according to claim 3 including (f) a handle member affixed to said spacer intermediate its length and extending substantially perpendiculairly thereof.

5. A lamp shade holder improvement according to claim 3 wherein the lower end of each of said legs of said clamp member is defined by an arcuate recess to receive said harp horizontal portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,099,000 1l/1937 Carpenter 240-144 X 2,650,981 9/l9,53 Chilo 240--148 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

C. C. LOGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TILTABLE LAMP SHADE HOLDER COMPRISING: (A) A LAMP HARP HAVING MEANS AT THE LOWER END FOR SUPPORTING TO A LIGHT SOCKET, THE UPPER END PORTION OF THE HARP BEING SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND HORIZONTAL; (B) A BRACKET PIVOTALLY AFFIXED TO THE HARP UPPER HORIZONTAL PORTION, THE BRACKET HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING THREADED PORTION; (C) AN INVERTED U-SHAPED CLAMP MEMBER DEFINED BY A HORIZONTAL PORTION HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN AND OPPOSED PARALLELED DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING LEGS, THE OPENING RECEIVING SAID BRACKET THREADED PORTION, THE LOWER END OF THE LEGS ENGAGING SAID HARP HORIZONTAL PORTION TO EITHER SIDE OF SAID BRACKET; (D) A SPACER HAVING A THREADED OPENING IN THE LOWER END TO RECEIVE THE BRACKET THREADED PORTION AND THEREBY URGE SAID CLAMP AGAINST SAID HARP HORIZONTAL PORTION, THE SPACER HAVING AN INTEGRAL UPWARDLY EXTENDING THREADED LAMP SHAPE EYELET RECEIVING PORTION; AND (E) A NUT THREADABLE ON SAID SPACER UPWARDLY EXTENDING THREADED PORTION. 